The holiday of Sukkot is upon us, when Jews around the world will take part in very visibly iconic rituals such as eating in outdoor structures called sukkahs, shaking the four species, and more.
Spanning over a week, the holiday has a long history with many aspects that hold a significant place in Jewish culture.
Here is a rundown on everything you need to know:
Where is Sukkot in the Bible?
Also known as Zman Simhatenu, or the time of celebration, the holiday of Sukkot is biblical in origin and is described in the Book of Numbers.
The holiday is marked as one of the three pilgrimage festivals (shalosh regalim), along with Passover and Shavuot, where in ancient times, Jews would travel to Jerusalem and offer sacrifices at the Temple.
The festival is thought by some to be meant to remember how after the Exodus from Egypt, the Jews traveled through the desert.
While the traditional sacrifices offered on the holiday have stopped with the destruction of the Temple, many other rituals live on to this day.
What is the sukkah?
Chief among them is the practice of sitting and eating in the sukkah, an outdoor temporary structure, and shaking the lulav (palm frond) along with three other botanical species.
Both are quintessential aspects of the holiday and are done worldwide. Famously, the spiritual significance of the sukkah and lulav was on display in the Israeli film Ushpizin, named after a common Sukkot custom, where a financially struggling Hassid in Jerusalem tries to celebrate the holiday.
The act of eating in the sukkah is also something of a communal rite, with it being traditional in many Jewish communities around the world to go on “sukkah hops” where families visit other sukkahs in the community.
Another significant part of the holiday is Birkat Kohanim (the priests’ blessing). This is done every festival in the Diaspora and done regularly in Israel, where the Kohanim will go to the front of the synagogue for the priestly blessing after removing their shoes and hiding their faces and hands under their tallit (prayer shawl). However, it is customary for massive crowds to flock to the Western Wall during Hol HaMoed (the intermediate days of the festival) for mass prayer services, with Birkat Kohanim being a pivotal moment.
But there is more to the holiday than just that. The seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshanah Rabah (great salvation). This day is seen by many as a kind of continuation of the repentance of the High Holy Days and is marked by the famous smacking of the willow branches during prayer services.
The final day of Sukkot is known as Shmini Atzeret (eight days of gathering), also known as Simchat Torah (Torah rejoicing), though some consider it a separate holiday. Here, the focus is not on the lulav and sukkah but rather on the Torah itself, marking the completion of another year of reading all five books of the Torah and the beginning of a new cycle.
What are the rules of Sukkot?
The most obvious rules to keep in mind regarding Sukkot are the sukkah itself and the lulav.
Regarding the sukkah, the structure is built outdoors, often on the night after Yom Kippur. The rules are extensively discussed in the Talmud and rabbinic literature, but in brief summation, the structure must have at least two-and-a-half walls around three feet in height, with the “half” part needing to be at a minimum of 3.2 inches in width. The walls themselves can be constructed of any material in theory. However, some halachic authorities such as Rabbi Ovadia Yosef have said that materials like canvas should not be used as the sukkah should not sway in the breeze.
Its roof, however, must be made of organic material. This roofing, known as s’chach, is specifically required to be made of organic material no longer connected to the ground, such as palm fronds or bamboo. Though it covers the sukkah, there must be space between it to ensure one can see the sky; a sukkah constructed under another roof or tree is not considered kosher.
Traditionally, many Jews decorate the interior of the sukkah extensively, though some, like Chabad, do not.
During the holiday, people must eat their meals inside the sukkah and say the blessing of “leshev ba’sukkah” (to sit in the sukkah), although only meals with bread or products on which one would say the mezonot (sustenance) blessing are actually required to be eaten there. However, if it rains, one is allowed to eat at home instead.
Additionally, as a time-bound commandment, women are not required to eat in the sukkah at all.
It is also customary for many Jews to sleep inside the sukkah, though this is not done everywhere, particularly in places that are too cold.
It is also customary every night to say a blessing welcoming the Ushpizin “guests.” This is mystical in nature, and the blessing sees different biblical figures symbolically being welcomed every night. These figures are, in one popular order: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David.
In Israel, sukkahs are a common sight for the holiday, but not just in homes. Restaurants, hotels, or public events and venues will frequently have them set up for guests or patrons to use during the holiday.
Lulav and more: What are the Four Species of Sukkot?
The next iconic practice is lulav. Worshipers combine what are known as the Four Species (arba minim) for this ritual. These are as follows:
- Lulav: A branch of a palm tree
- Etrog: A single citron fruit
- Hadasim: Three myrtle branches with their leaves still intact
- Aravot: Two willow branches with their leaves still intact
These are bound together and are shaken during the holiday, except on Shabbat, in a specific order of directions. This is first done in the Hallel prayer and later on in the Hoshanot, where the congregation marches around the synagogue chanting after the chazzan.
The holiday itself lasts seven days, not including the eight additional days of Shmini Atzeret, with only the first day being Yom Tov (festival) with restrictions on working and using electronics similar to Shabbat. The rest of the days are called Chol HaMoed, where one can work, though people must still wave the four species and eat in the sukkah.
However, this is only the case in Israel. Outside of Israel, the dates are slightly different. As is the case with most Jewish festivals, most Jewish communities in the Diaspora observe two days of Yom Tov, followed by making the final but separate Shmini Atzeret festival into two days as well, with the second day being referred to as Simchat Torah (in Israel these two are combined into one day as mentioned above.) The High Holy Days are different: Rosh Hashanah is two days even in Israel, and Yom Kippur is one day even in the Diaspora.
As such, Hol HaMoed is observed on the second-seventh days of the festival in Israel and the third-seventh days in the Diaspora.
In terms of prayer, Sukkot follows a similar pattern to the other pilgrimage festivals. On Yom Tov, the prayer is treated the same way as Shabbat, up until the Shmona Esrei (18-part prayer) during the Shacharit, Mincha, and Ma’ariv prayer services (morning, afternoon, and evening), when the special version for the three pilgrimage festival is recited instead, with certain phrases being swapped in or out depending on the festival in question. During Torah readings, specific portions are read depending on the holiday.
As a festival, the Mussaf additional prayer is also included, with the pilgrimage festival version of the Mussaf prayer being recited following Torah reading.
The Hallel prayer is also included, with a particular focus on incorporating the waving of the lulav and including the Hoshanot.
During Hol HaMoed, the prayer service follows the weekday formula. However, additions are made due to the festival, such as the addition of the Ya’aleh Ve’Yavo (let us go up and come) prayer in Shmona Esrei, the use of Hallel and Hoshanot, and the inclusion of Mussaf and Torah reading. Many Jews also have a custom not to wear tefilin (phylacteries) during Hol HaMoed.
When does Sukkot Yom Tov begin and end?
Jerusalem
- Candle lighting: 5:47 p.m.
- Yom Tov ends: 6:46 p.m.
Tel Aviv
- Candle lighting: 5:48 p.m.
- Yom Tov ends: 6:48 p.m.
Haifa
- Candle lighting: 5:47 p.m.
- Yom Tov ends: 6:46 p.m.
Beersheba
- Candle lighting: 5:49 p.m.
- Yom Tov ends: 6:49 p.m.
Eilat
- Candle lighting: 5:50 p.m.
- Yom Tov ends: 6:49 p.m.
New York
- Candle lighting: 5:55 p.m.
- Shabbat ends: 6:51 p.m.*
Los Angeles
- Candle lighting: 5:59 p.m.
- Shabbat ends: 6:55 p.m.*
*As explained above, there are two days of Yom Tov abroad, and this year the second day of Yom Tov ends right as Shabbat begins, so the time it ends refers to the end of Shabbat.
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